Irish driving theory test practice (car, category BW)
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Practise for the Irish Driver Theory Test for a car for free, with 158 original questions and an explanation after every answer. They cover the Irish rules the test is about: the learner permit, L and N plates and EDT, km/h limits and stopping distances, the 20 mg alcohol limit for learners, penalty points, the NCT, roundabouts, yellow boxes, motorways, cyclists and hazards. No account needed. When you feel ready, take a mock exam with the real numbers: 40 questions, 45 minutes, pass with 35.
- 158 questions with explanations
- Mock exam: 40 questions
- Pass with 35 (max 5 wrong)
- 45 minutes, like the real test
- Free, no account
What is the Irish Driver Theory Test in 2026?
Before you can apply for your first learner permit you must pass the Driver Theory Test (DTT), run for the Road Safety Authority (RSA) at theory test centres. For a car you book category BW (cars, tractors and work vehicles). Motorcycles and mopeds have their own test, AM, with the same format.
| Driver Theory Test, car (BW) | |
|---|---|
| Questions | 40, chosen at random from the RSA question bank |
| Pass mark | 35 correct (at most 5 wrong) |
| Time | 45 minutes |
| Fee | €45 |
| Certificate valid | 2 years for a first learner permit |
| Minimum age | 15 on the test day (since 1 November 2026) |
There is no limit on attempts; theorytest.ie advises waiting at least 3 business days before you re-sit. From 1 November 2026 some drivers renewing a learner permit must take the theory test again, for example on a third or fourth permit without a driving test in the previous 2 years. Source: theorytest.ie (FAQ and booking page), checked 7 November 2026. Always check current fees and rules there.
From theory test to full licence: the steps for a car
- Theory test (BW): 40 questions, 35 to pass.
- Learner permit: you drive with L plates, always with an accompanying driver who has held a full car licence for at least 2 years, never on a motorway and never towing a trailer.
- Essential Driver Training: 12 one-hour lessons with an Approved Driving Instructor (6 if you qualify for reduced EDT).
- Driving test: at the earliest 6 months after your first learner permit starts.
- Full licence and N plates: you display N plates for 2 years. As a learner or novice your alcohol limit is 20 mg per 100 ml of blood (50 mg for other drivers) and you are disqualified at 7 penalty points instead of 12.
Sources: rsa.ie (licence type B, penalty points) and the RSA Rules of the Road.
What our questions cover
Our 158 questions in 10 topics follow the RSA Rules of the Road and focus on what is specifically Irish:
- Learner and novice rules: accompanying driver, L and N plates, EDT, the 6-month wait, the 7-point limit.
- Speed and distance: 120 km/h on motorways, 60 km/h on most rural local roads since February 2025, 80 km/h when towing, the two-second rule and why braking distance quadruples when speed doubles.
- Junctions and roundabouts: giving way to the right, yellow box junctions, Irish traffic lights (no red-and-amber phase), filter arrows, Garda signals.
- Motorways and overtaking: who may not use a motorway, the hard shoulder, passing cyclists with 1 m or 1.5 m.
- Your car: the NCT (first at 4 years, every 2 years, yearly after 10), tyres (1.6 mm minimum), tax, insurance and NCT discs, child seats (under 150 cm and 36 kg), towing.
- Penalty points, alcohol, phones and hazards: fixed charges, drink and drug driving, fog, black ice, flooding and breakdowns.
How practising on MyLevel works
Practise for free by topic or mixed. After each answer you see straight away whether it was right and why. These are our own questions: the RSA question bank is sold as a book and app, it is not a free public pool, so nobody can honestly give you the real test questions for free. All questions are text with 4 options and one right answer; road sign pictures and hazard video clips are not simulated here, so learn the signs from the Rules of the Road too.
Want to know if you are ready? Take a mock exam: 40 random questions, 45 minutes, pass with 35. The mock exams cost €6.99, one-time (no subscription). Take them as often as you like, see your score per topic and every explanation, and get a MyLevel practice certificate when you pass. Not useful? Full refund within 14 days.
MyLevel is independent and not affiliated with the Road Safety Authority (RSA), theorytest.ie or Prometric (not affiliated). All questions are original MyLevel practice questions written from the RSA Rules of the Road and rsa.ie; they are not questions from the official Driver Theory Test. Always check current rules, fees and validity on theorytest.ie and rsa.ie.
Sample question with explanation
Which theory test category do you book if you want a learner permit for a car?
- ADI (driving instructor)
- AM (moped, motorcycle and car together)
- CD (bus and truck)
- BW (car, tractor and work vehicles)
Show the answer
Answer: D. BW (car, tractor and work vehicles)
The car theory test is booked as category BW; motorcycles and mopeds use the separate AM test (theorytest.ie).
Frequently asked questions
How many questions are in the Irish driving theory test and what is the pass mark?
The car (BW) and motorcycle (AM) theory tests each have 40 questions. You pass with 35 correct, so you may get at most 5 wrong, and you have 45 minutes (theorytest.ie).
Is the Irish driving theory test changing to 80 questions?
Not for cars. On 7 November 2026 the RSA booking page for car or bike says the exam still consists of 40 questions with a pass mark of 35. The bus and truck tests (C or D) are longer: 100 questions, 74 to pass. The change in November 2026 was the minimum age (now 15) and new rules for some learner permit renewals.
How much is the driving theory test in Ireland and how long is it valid?
The car (BW) theory test costs €45. The pass certificate is valid for 2 years: if you do not use it for a first learner permit in that time, you must sit and pay for the test again (theorytest.ie, checked 7 November 2026).
Can I practise the Irish theory test for free?
Yes. All 158 practice questions on this page are free, with an explanation for each answer and without an account. Only the timed 40-question mock exams with the certificate cost €6.99, once.
Do I get a certificate?
Yes, when you pass a full mock exam you get a MyLevel practice certificate (PDF). It is not an official document and not a Driver Theory Test pass; only the RSA test counts for your learner permit.
Are these the real RSA theory test questions and answers?
No. The RSA question bank is sold as a book and app, not published as a free pool, and we never copy it. Our questions are our own, written from the Rules of the Road, so you learn the rules behind the answers rather than memorising them.
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